Rioja

Rioja is Spain's most celebrated fine wine region, renowned for beautifully balanced, age-worthy wines built predominantly around Tempranillo. Stretching along the Ebro Valley, its vineyards encompass the contrasting landscapes of Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, where differences in altitude, climate and soils create wines ranging from fragrant and elegant to richer, more powerful styles.

The region is particularly famous for its tradition of extended ageing in American oak and bottle, producing the complex Reserva and Gran Reserva wines that have become synonymous with great Rioja. Few estates embody this style better than La Rioja Alta, founded in Haro in 1890. Wines such as Viña Ardanza and Gran Reserva 904 combine beautifully mature red fruit with spice, savoury complexity and freshness, demonstrating both the elegance and extraordinary longevity of traditionally made Rioja.

Alongside these historic styles, a new generation is placing greater emphasis on individual villages, vineyards and terroir, bringing another dimension to one of Spain's most fascinating regions. From vibrant younger Tempranillo to mature Reservas and great Gran Reservas capable of developing for decades, Rioja combines tradition, longevity and remarkable value like few other fine wine regions.